Silence
by Crimson stars and Silent stars
Summary: "I expect there is no point in telling you that I, and everyone else you've put to death in your camps have all been quite innocent. This little show has nothing to do with Justice. This is murder!" The TARDIS team find themselves trapped on a planet in the middle of a violent coup. All aliens and foreigners are no longer welcome and have become a target for mass slaughter.
1. Landed

Welcome! This is my first attempt at a long form story! I am really excited about this project and I hope I get to finish it. I anticipate it being quite long and I hope to update every week to 2 weeks! I'm a bit new at this so please leave a comment with some constructive criticism! It is always valued and appreciated!

**Note: **The Nyssa that appears in my story is not the same as the one that travelled with the Doctor on television. This version of the character is from the Big Finish storyline where a much older Nyssa reunites with the TARDIS crew fifty years after she left. This Nyssa is a biochemist and scientist who researches into cures for deadly diseases. This Nyssa has a husband and has raised two children. This Nyssa is far more an equal to the Doctor that she was before. (I quite like this version if you can't tell!)

**Warning: **This work contains some very mature themes and some imagery that you probably wouldn't see in mainstream Doctor Who. There is very little cursing if any, but themes such as racial cleansing, genocide, murder, and child murder do come up. However, I try to broach them as carefully as I can.

I hope you enjoy!

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The planet of Ge'Phaidros sat in silence. Well, that was not totally true. In millions of houses around the world, people argued and laughed and sang and cried. In the streets of the cities wrestling children scrapped their knees, and servants milled through shopping centers, and workers trudged up and down rows of grinding machinery. In the forests and oceans, creatures hunted and burrowed and fled and fought for survival. In one noisy city, a riot was brewing that created a symphony of shattering glass and thundering feet and roaring fire, punctuated steadily by the rhythm of the law enforcement's gun fire. All these sounds and many more sang together into the blackness, the unique music of Ge'Phaidros.

But none of that would be heard by the strangers to the world that were about to arrive. On that one day, in that one place, at that one particular time, the planet sat in silence. At least it did until the sounds of mysterious wheezing and groaning touched the air. It grew and grew until it seemed to fill all of the sky. However, this sound did not fit into the symphony of Ge'Phaidros. It was dissonant and unstable and utterly… alien.

THE TARDIS

"Landed!", the Doctor announced, thumping the flat of his hand on the console with a kind of energetic finality. Nyssa of Traken stood on the other side of the circular display, monitoring the Artron readout from the TARDIS' energy matrix. The task wasn't very stimulating, in fact it tended to be rather dull at the best of times. However, she knew the TARDIS usually did better in flight when someone was there to regulate it. If she left piloting up to the Doctor, that readout would have gone entirely ignored, much to the detriment of the passenger's comfort.

"Landed?" Turlough piped up from the corner where he had been curled up reading his book. He swung his legs around and sat up straight in the chair, a look of mild surprise on his face. "We've actually landed in Perth on the first try?"

"Ah", the Doctor responded, the corners of his beaming smile faded a bit, "Well, no. Er, we've certainly landed", he paused sheepishly, "But, ah, I'm not quite sure where exactly".

Turlough let out a long, audible sigh. "Doctor, we're supposed to be picking up Tegan!" He stood up out of his chair in exasperation.

"I know, I know", the Doctor looked down, "And we will! But you can't always get it on the first go", he smiled again, "Besides! This old girl never was keen on taking the straightest line between two places. Tegan will never know the difference".

Turlough rolled his eyes as he stalked towards the console. "Why is it that we never actually end up where we want to go?"

"We always get there in the end", Nyssa cut in, looking sternly at the young redhead. The Doctor flashed her a silent look of gratitude as Turlough visibly backed off. They were both used to the Trion's fits of grumpiness by this point, he never meant anything by it. Although it did tend to rile up Tegan quite a lot. Nyssa cracked a mild smile. In a way, mediating between them reminded her of the bickering her children always got into. She had gotten quite good at resolving them over the decades.

"Well!" said the Doctor, clapping his hands enthusiastically, "With that settled, let's see what's out there shall we?" With that, and not a word more, he flicked the switch and spun to face the door, and the world that awaited.

GE'PHAIDROS

It was hot. That was the first impression that struck the Doctor as he crossed the threshold. And Bright, he added as he stepped fully into the blazing desert and squeezed his eyes shut against the sun. He rummaged in his pockets and pulled out his rolled up panama hat. He fixed it on his head just as Nyssa, followed by a distinctly dispassionate Turlough emerged. The Doctor suppressed a sigh as he looked back at his companion. It had only be about two weeks since he had ended his ordeal with the Black Guardian. The Doctor hated to think what that parasitic evil had put him through during his months in the TARDIS. How many times had he endured repeated violence to his body and mind while in his care? The Doctor's mind flashed back to the Eternal's ship, when they had found Turlough collapsed on the ground with vivid purple bruises around his neck.

The Doctor forced himself to turn his attention away and focus on his surroundings. They seemed to be on the edge of a small town or village of sorts. The TARDIS had materialized a bit of a distance away from the first row of buildings on the outskirts of the village. The Doctor waited for Nyssa and Turlough to catch up, trying not to look too impatient. Both of his friends were struggling against the intense heat and light, screwing their eyes up in discomfort.

"Well?" Turlough demanded, "What kind of backwater planet have we ended up on this time?"

The Doctor ignored the rude tone in Turlough's voice. "I thought you'd be happy!" He shot back. "You're the one who always hates when we land on Earth".

Turlough rolled his eyes. "Very funny", he said, every syllable dripping with sarcasm as a reluctant smile flickered across his lips. The Doctor's own smile grew wider with that.

"Well Doctor", Nyssa interrupted, "Where exactly are we?"

"Hmm", the Time Lord screwed up his face as if he were thinking hard. "Well using my excellent skills of observation, I'd say we are…. in a desert".

Now it was Nyssa's turn to roll her eyes. "You know, Doctor, I think out of all the people in the universe, you're the one who finds your humour the most amusing".

He looked back at her with wide, innocent eyes. "You know, Nyssa, that came dangerously close to an insult!"

She gave him a secretive little smile, something that had become sadly rare with this older Nyssa. "Did it? I must be more careful next time."

The Doctor let out a beleaguered sigh, "I'm beginning to miss Tegan. At least with her I know when I'm being taunted!". His petulant remark was rewarded with laughter from both of them. The Doctor let out a little chuckle too. "Well, come on you two", he spun around without warning and started to walk towards the town, "Let's not waste anymore of our time!"

The trio made their way to the village, eager to shield themselves from the hot wind that beat down on them. As they drew closer, the Doctor started to realize that something wasn't quite right. For one, he couldn't hear…. Well anything. No people, no cars or wagons, no animals. Actually he could hear one animal, a bird of some kind, cawing in the distance. Something wasn't right here at all. As they approached the town, the buildings began to come into sharper focus. Most of them were huts and small wooden houses by the looks of it, and….. The Doctor began to pick up the pace, rushing towards the town.

"What is it, Doctor?", Turlough called after him as he struggled to catch up. Nyssa followed suit as well.

"There's something wrong", the Doctor answered quickly, not so much as turning his head to regard Turlough. "Those buildings, most of them are damaged. That one's all but completely crumbled", he pointed to a house near the edge of the settlement that seemed to be missing a wall, "And that one, well it looks like it was burned to the ground".

Turlough followed the Doctor's indication to find that he was right, and that wasn't the only house that had been touched by fire. "It's been attacked", Turlough blurted out. "Those fires didn't happen naturally. Someone deliberately set fire to them".

Turlough glanced up at the Doctor's face. His expression said everything. "Yes", he murmured uncertainty, "Yes, I'm afraid you might be right". Nyssa and Turlough exchanged worried looks before quickening their pace to match the Doctor's.

There was no ignoring the signs of attack as the trio grew closer. The Doctor started to feel that all too familiar pit of dread growing in his chest. Please no, he found himself thinking nervously. The three friends made their way up to the back of the outer row of houses. With the Doctor leading the way, they rounded the final corner and entered the main street of the village.

Corpses. Strewn gruesomely across the expanse of the open street, the Doctor looked upon the bodies of the dead. "No", the Doctor choked out quietly as he gazed upon the horror that lay before him. The victims lay collapsed everywhere, stretching out before the three travellers far into the distance. They lay in eerie stillness, trapped in their last moments of life. The whole town had be slaughtered. He heard Nyssa gasp distantly behind him. He couldn't bring himself to turn to her.

The Doctor moved like a ghost through the corpses, staring from body to body with silent, seething anger. He stopped halfway up the street. He couldn't seem to bring himself to go any further. He knelt silently by the closest body, the body of a young woman. She wore a blouse that may have once been white, but had long since been stained with mud and blood. A deep gash had been slashed across her exposed neck and her head was bent at an awkward angle. Her wide, now cloudy eyes told of a violent and terrifying death. The Doctor swallowed hard as a wave of nausea came crashing down. No one deserved to die like this, in fear. He reached down gently and rested his hand across her temple. "I'm so sorry", he spoke to her, "I wish we could have saved you from this fate".

He didn't react as he felt the soft presence on Nyssa come to his side. She knelt down beside him, reaching her slender fingers out and closing the victim's eyes. "Be at peace", she whispered. Anger was bubbling its way up into his chest as he stood and continued to roam up the street. Anger at the invisible enemy that had done this and at his own inability to do anything. They had been too late.

"We need to find out who did this".


	2. Nothing Left

I'm a huge fan of Turlough! I just love his relationship with the Doctor. The slight mistrust, the attempts of the Doctor to try and help him become a better man... It's great stuff. Turlough is just unlike any companion the Doctor has ever had. Turlough fans enjoy this chapter! And please leave any comments or suggestions you have!

* * *

"We already know what happened, Doctor". Turlough's voice rose distantly from behind him. He rounded surprisingly fast on the young man.

"What do you mean?" he demanded. The look of subtle anger in Turlough's eyes was unsettling.

"These people were slaughtered", Turlough started certainly, "probably by people who were armed judging by the corpses". The Doctor and Nyssa stared back at him. "The group must have been around 8-10 people. The bodies are spread out, but not that spread out. My guess is that the men attacked from all sides, bottlenecking the townspeople. They'd need at least eight for that". The shock on The Doctor's face was evident. "Most of the bodies seem to have wounds from close combat weapons so that's good".

"Good?" the Doctor echoed in disbelief.

"No guns." The young Trion's eyes were like pale steel. They showed no sorrow, only anger and disgust.

The Doctor forced himself to calm down a bit as he gaped at Turlough. "And how exactly do you know all this". The Doctor's voice was a dangerous growl. He walked up and put his face as close to his friend's as he could. He would not tolerate any lies about this.

For once in Turlough's deceptive life, his eyes did not waver. Instead they deliberately held The Doctor's gaze. "I've seen battlefields before, Doctor. I know what they look like".

"Yes", The Doctor answered absently, "You know, Turlough, I think I believe you". He was surprised to find that to be the truth.

"Well, I can't lie all the time, can I?" the young man joked lamely.

The Doctor did not smile. "Although, you're wrong about one thing", the Doctor added, "This is not a battlefield".

Turlough blinked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" he questioned.

Nyssa stepped forward, her eyes almost as steely as Turlough's. "Saying this is a battlefield would indicate that these people were soldiers", she explained.

"And they most definitely were not", The Doctor finished. "They are unarmed… They were innocents", he added grimly. Turlough looked away under The Doctor's gaze. After a moment, the Time Lord turned away. "Let's have a look around", he prompted. "Maybe we can find out who did this".

Nyssa nodded her consent and went to The Doctor's side as he moved up further up the street. Turlough remained where he was. "I'll go look this way", he announced and indicated down the opposite way.

The Doctor turned to him in surprise. "Turlough, I don't think it's a good idea to separate. Whoever did this could still be around".

Turlough rolled his eyes in exasperation. "There's no need to worry, Doctor! These corpses have been here for at least a couple of days and there's no sign of any other life here. Besides", he added as an afterthought, "They're hardly likely to stick around the sight of their crime for long are they?"

"We can't know that for sure!" Nyssa burst out. "For all we know, they could still be here seeking out the survivors or pillaging the remains".

"You're just being idiotic, Nyssa!" Turlough spat. "We'll cover far more ground this way!"

"That's enough!" The Doctor snapped angrily. "Go if you feel you must, Turlough. But make sure you meet back here in an hour, alright?" Turlough nodded stiffly before turning his back and walking away. The Doctor's eyes followed his retreating figure, etched with worry. He didn't like having to raise his voice, especially to his friends, but he couldn't allow them to be distracted by petty arguments in this place.

"Why did you let him go on his own, Doctor?" Nyssa sighed in annoyance.

"I know he seems young and foolish to you, Nyssa, but he is his own man and I learned a long while ago that trying to control him will only result in disappointment." The Doctor shook his head solemnly.

"He seems young because he is, Doctor", Nyssa challenged. "And he's your responsibility, is he not?"

"In a way", he answered vaguely. "But in another, more immediate way, there are more pressing things to concern ourselves with".

He did not look back as he pressed onwards down to street, determined to find out what had happened here.

()

Turlough walked aimlessly through the wreckage of the village, barely noticing the rest of his surroundings as his eyes flitted from one fallen body to the next. It wasn't often that Turlough found himself overly sympathetic for those he didn't know, but this time it was… different. Flashes of screaming and pain and smoke and blood filled the young man's head as he staggered around. It was too much to bear. He felt himself losing against his thoughts as they crashed down on him. It was happening again! He was there again! He squeezed his eyes shut. "Go away!" he begged.

He opened his eyes and he was no longer in the village. He was surrounded by hundreds of men and women. In each of their hands they held a blaster rifle. Turlough looked to his right in time to see the woman beside him fall as a bolt of energy hit her square in the chest. "GET DOWN!" he screamed as he flattened himself behind the barrier. The other soldiers complied as they heard the high-pitched whine overhead. The whine that they all knew too well.

The heavens descended on them in a fiery rage as the bomber swooped down and released it's load. The earth seemed to shatter around him as fire and pain became all he knew. The shrapnel from the explosion bit into his face and arms from all directions. Oh God Oh God please don't let me die. He thought over and over again as the world crashed around his ears. He did not know how long he lay like that. All he knew was that when he finally lifted his head, he was greeted by a horrific sight. The dead. The innumerable dead lay all around him. His soldiers looked up at the sky with an empty, never-ending gaze. Some bodies were unrecognizable. Curled up and burned beyond looking anything like a person.

Those that survived, the very few that survived, were beginning to pick themselves up. Staring at the death that lay strewn around them. Almost all of his troops, gone. With a terrified shout Turlough ripped himself from the memory. It was over. He tried to remind himself as he panted for breath. Over. With a shake of his head, he picked himself off the ground and turned back the way he had come.

()

Nyssa walked along the street, scanning the corpses in complete silence as she passed them. Occasionally, she would crouch down to examine a victim's injuries or to lie them in a more peaceful position. If she could, she would have given each of them a proper grave. But there were at least a fifty victims she estimated. There was no way the three of them could bury them all. Nyssa looked back periodically. The Doctor had lagged far behind her, wandering slowly through the massacre, seeming almost like he was in a trance. When Nyssa cast her gaze back again, she found the Doctor kneeled down next to the body of a small boy. As she observed, she noticed that his eyes were closed and he was leaning close to the child, unaware of any surroundings. The scientist stared awkwardly for a moment before she decided to go over to him. She padded up with soft, unobtrusive steps, dropping down next to the motionless Time Lord. She was careful not to interrupt his personal meditation, instead simply sitting there next to him. The Doctor's fingertips rested on the little boy's forehead.

Nyssa gazed at the child. It was hard to imagine him in life. She tried to picture him with colour in his cheeks, a joyful smile lighting up his face as he tore down the street surrounded by other children. But instead all that greeted her was a blank face and a small, stiff body. She could imagine no warmth in it's depths. The Doctor shifted next to her as he slowly and somewhat reluctantly came back to the world. His sad, blue eyes met Nyssa's. He offered her a weak smile. "I thought maybe I could catch an echo", he explained.

Nyssa suddenly understood the ritual she had observed. He had been trying to seek out the last sparks of memory in the dead mind. "Did you find anything?" she prompted gently.

The Doctor shook his head. "No", he said with a mixture of disappointment and bitterness. "There's nothing left".

The Time Lord's voice was low. It had been years since she'd travelled with him for any meaningful amount of time, but she still remembered that tone. That tone of cold, cold anger that surfaced in him very rarely. The anger that meant there was no escape. No redemption, not this time. The Cybermen, the Daleks, in her experience there were very few creatures that elicited such a response from him.

Nyssa was abruptly shaken from her thoughts as the Doctor's head shot up without warning. Her body flinched away from the unexpected movement as the Doctor rose to his feet with caution. "Doctor?", she questioned. He did not answer. Instead he stood as if frozen, staring intently at the entrance to one of the nearby huts. Nyssa followed his gaze with a mix of confusion and apprehension.

"Someone's in there".


	3. The Child

Hmm, who could it be? Time for the plot really get underway. As always I'd love to hear any feedback from you guys!

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The Doctor approached the opening to the wooden hut. He could still feel the tug at his mind. He had felt it while grieving over the deceased boy. Fear. Pure stinking fear had suddenly flooded his mind, guiding him to the silent hut. His heart thumped with excitement as he dared to hope they had found a survivor. Cautiously, he and Nyssa came to the doorway. He peered into the building, straining his eyesight, but all he managed to glimpse was the vaguest of shapes. "Hello?" he called out slowly, holding his breath for a response. The Doctor could hear something stirring in the house. The sound was quiet but unmistakable. Someone was in there. He took another tentative step inside, gesturing to Nyssa to stay where she was. "Whoever you are, I promise we won't hurt you". Again, the only response seemed to be a few seconds of frantic scrambling. "We're here to help". He pressed on, taking another full step. He rummaged around in his pockets until his hands wrapped around what he was looking for. He produced a small flashlight and turned it on. The sight that greeted him was shocking and not at all pleasant. At first it looked like all they had found was another couple of poor victims. A man and a woman lay gripping each other in a pool of blood, dead. As he glanced over their bodies, the Doctor found similar wounds to the villagers outside.

And there was something else there, something moving behind the bodies. The Doctor raised his flashlight and pointed it at the noise, flooding it with light. There, pressed between the bodies and the wall cowered a child. A squeak of terror escaped the little girl's lips as the light fell on her and she flattened herself as far as she could against the wall. Nyssa gasped from somewhere behind him. The Doctor stared in frozen shock, taking in the child's appearance. Where she wasn't covered in dust or ash, she was caked in dried blood. Her long, braided hair might have been reddish beneath the layers of filth it was hard to tell. And she was thin. So very thin. Not thin. The Doctor corrected. Emaciated. Her eyes were wide in abject terror and her entire body trembled like a leaf caught in a windstorm. She couldn't be any older than six or seven.

Trying to hide his shock and horror, the Doctor steadily lowered himself to the ground. The girl was terrified of him. He would have to handle this with care. "Hello", he said, trying to keep his voice as light and gentle as possible. Despite his attempts, as soon as he brought his face down near hers, she screamed. It was a short, desperate scream. The girl gripped the arm of the woman on the ground. Her parents. The Doctor realised as his eyes swept over the dead couple again. "It's alright!", he spoke soothingly, disguising the urgency behind his words. "We don't want to hurt you, I promise". He raised his hand in a gesture of surrender. "We're here to help".

The girl wasn't listening. Her eyes darted around the room, flitting between the Doctor's face, Nyssa's, and the door behind them. Nyssa stepped forward and knelt beside the Doctor. More fear radiated from the girl. "Hello", Nyssa greeted, matching the Doctor's soft tone. "My name is Nyssa". She touched the Doctor's shoulder. "And this is the Doctor". Nyssa smiled. "What is your name?"

She had succeeded in catching the girl's attention at least. The child didn't respond, staring with wide eyes. If they could just get her to the TARDIS, the Doctor thought nervously. There was a possibility that the ones responsible would return looking for survivors. He pushed the grim thought aside for a moment. One step at a time. "Are you hungry?" the Doctor offered as an idea struck him. Her eyes snapped to him immediately. He saw hunger spark in her eyes, overtaking her fear for just a moment. He smiled. "Would you like something to eat?"

The girl considered him for a moment before giving the tiniest nod. "Doctor", Nyssa prodded quietly, "We don't have any food with us".

A wisp of amusement crossed the Time Lord's face. "Of course we do!" he retorted, "I always have a bit of a snack on my person. Never leave the TARDIS without it". The Doctor plucked the stalk of celery from his lapel. With a slow, steady hand, he offered it to the girl. She stared, frozen for a moment before deciding that she was more hungry than scared. She reached out, uncertainty and distrust glittering in her eyes as she grabbed the offering and retreated back to her previous position. The Doctor and Nyssa watched in silence as the child bit into the vegetable, finishing it in seconds. After she was finished she looked back up at him, her gaze still haunted with hunger. He wished he had more to offer. On the plus side, he could see that the girl had relaxed a bit. Unfurling her unnaturally thin arms from around her drawn up knees. Curiosity had replaced some of the fear in her eyes. "You see?" the Doctor prompted. "We're not so bad after all".

()

Turlough picked his way back up the street. He could still feel his heart thumping erratically in his chest. He struggled to get his breath back under control, forcing himself to calm down. There was no need to worry the others about his moment of weakness, he convinced himself. Dust and sand had managed to stain his knees from where he had fallen. With a sigh, the Trion shook his head as if trying to dislodge and unpleasant thought and resumed his walk. If the Doctor or Nyssa asked he'd just say he tripped over a body. That might very well become true, he mused. He deliberately kept his eyes looking straight ahead to avoid looking at any more corpses. The thoughts they brought along with them were too much to bear.

For a moment, as Turlough struggled to keep the memories at bay, he felt the hairs rise on the back of his neck. Someone was behind him. It was the most obvious thing in the world, a presence breathing down his neck. A sudden spasm of panic gripped Turlough as he spun around to face his stalker and found… nothing. Nothing except for the empty street stared back at him. The only movement coming from the wind that kicked up the sand and ruffled the clothes of the fallen. The young Trion let the tension slip from his shoulders, a relieved sigh escaped his lips. It must have just been his imagination; The last vestiges of an unpleasant flashback playing tricks on him. He smoothed down his tie with nervous hands and proceeded down the road.

()

The child blinked at the Doctor, a hint of something other than fear appearing in her eyes. With a start he realised that she was starting to believe him. That deserved a smile, he thought, and he gave her the warmest one yet. Something twitched at the corner of her mouth. Something that managed to fight through all the trauma, misery, and fear… the beginnings of a smile. One small, trembling hand reached out. The little girl turned her palm flat and held it out to the Doctor.

Food. He understood. She wants more food. And she was finally feeling comfortable enough to ask for it. He cursed himself for not bringing more, disappointed that there wasn't more he could offer. He shook his head sadly, "I'm sorry. I don't have any more with me". It was hard to tell if she understood his words or not, but she understood the meaning well enough. She let her hand drop to the ground. "But", the Doctor added quickly, "We can get you more food!"

Her interest piqued again. "We have a ship", he continued, "A place to rest just outside the town. We have lots of food there".

The girl's knuckles whitened as she gripped her Mother's arm and fear dominated her gaze again. The Doctor could see the struggle in her eye before she gave a tiny, quick shake of her head. "I can't leave Mama", she squeaked. Her voice was little more than a whisper and was rough from perhaps days of disuse. Her terror was so acute that the Doctor felt himself easing physically away from her. What could he tell this girl? He couldn't just say her mother was dead! She had already experienced enough pain for the moment. But he couldn't let her stay here either. She would die in a matter of days without food, and significantly quicker if the murders came back to finish the job.

He and Nyssa could easily overpower the weakened child and get her in the TARDIS, but the prospect of that was just too cruel for him to consider. He was saved from having to answer by his gentle companion. "I don't think you're Mom would want you to go hungry would she?" The girl peered up a Nyssa but didn't answer. "How about you just come with us for a little bit? We can always come back after you've gotten something to eat".

The girl shifted uncertainty, with a spark of hope the Doctor watched her unconsciously let go of her mother's arm. "We've got lots of food!" he encouraged, "If you could have anything in the world, what would you have right now?"

She deliberated, a little wistful smile appearing. "I like Ghjukk", she whispered.

"I think we can manage that", the Doctor nodded, "Don't you agree, Nyssa?"

"Oh yes", she acknowledged, "I bet that tastes a lot better than celery!" The elderly Trakenite stuck out her tongue in a mock look of disgust.

The girl giggled, bringing up her hands to hide her smile. Nyssa joined in with her own soft, tinkling laughter. The Doctor rolled his eyes with a big smile and offered his hand out slowly to the little girl. His hand hovered a foot or so away from her suddenly rigid body. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared down at it, rocking slightly on her heels. "It's okay", the Doctor whispered, looking into her eyes with an expression of utter warmth. "You can trust us. I promise".

The child's eyes, her grey, sea grey eyes locking into his blue ones. The Doctor found himself holding his breath as he saw her fear and trust battling across her face. Finally, the girl's features softened, the tension left her shoulders. She reached out her small hand, and placed it tentatively in his. Her hand was cold and dirty with dried blood but the Doctor didn't care. "Thank you".

BANG!

The deafening noise ripped through the air without warning. The little girl let out a petrified yelp, snatching her hand back and flattening herself against the wall. The Doctor froze in fear. A gunshot. A gun had been fired on the street. His thoughts leapt immediately to Turlough, he was out there by himself. Panic started to claw its way up his throat, but he forced himself to swallow it down. He needed to deal with the girl first. "It's alright", he soothed even as he got to his feet.

A gun. Someone had a gun. Someone who had most likely murdered an entire village. He cast his eyes to the door, conflicted about whether to help the child quivering on the floor or his friend. "Go, Doctor", Nyssa pipped up suddenly, "Go find Turlough. I'll stay here". She took his place, kneeling beside the girl. She started to cry hysterically, her eyes telling the Doctor that her mind was no longer present.

He hovered awkwardly. "Nyssa, are you sure?"

"Just go!" she commanded, a sharpness clipping her voice.

After a moment of uncertainty, he conceded with a nod. With a last look back, he disappeared through the hut doorway.


	4. A Complicated Relationship With Truth

Alright, time for this story to _really_ get started! (I'm sorry Turlough!) As always, I'd love to hear from you guys down in the comments. Likes, dislikes, suggestions, questions... They're all welcome!

* * *

The Doctor hugged the side of the hut as he slipped out, taking care not to draw attention to himself. With his frame pressed up against the dried mud wall, he quickly scanned the street before him. At first, there was nothing. Suddenly, with a scuffle of frantic feet, a figure came barreling around the corner, streaking across the wide, corpse-laden street. It was Turlough. The Doctor tensed up as three other figures appeared around the corner in swift pursuit. With surprise, he noted that the men appeared to be wearing some kind of military uniform. Two of them were brandishing huge knives and one held a long rifle. Helpless to intervene, the Time Lord watched as the man raised the gun and took aim at his friend.

BANG

With a yelp of pain and surprise, Turlough came crashing to the ground, clutching his left arm. No! The Doctor thought, as the three men descended upon his companion. Turlough, his eyes screwed shut in pain, barely seemed to notice as he was dragged to his feet. One of the men twisted the young Trion's arm behind his back which earned a yelp of pain from their new prisoner. The Doctor felt his chest tighten in anger. He wanted more an anything to stop them, but there was no way a blind charge at three armed men would end well. Turlough struggled weakly against his captors, blood dripping onto the sand below. The Doctor watched, helpless, as he was half dragged, half marched out of view. He cast a nervous glance around before sprinting out from his hiding place and following the trail of blood.

()

Turlough cursed himself for his stupidity. He should have ran as soon as he heard that noise! And now because of his own hesitance, here he was. His arm throbbed with pain, he had almost passed out at the sight of his own torn flesh. The bullet had hit him just above the elbow on his left arm, but it hadn't hit bone. Still, it could have been worst. He could have got hit in the leg or the shoulder or… Or I could be dead. He shook his head and pushed the thought away. He had more pressing concerns.

Turlough had given up his fight with the two men holding him. Now he just tried to keep up as best he could. Resistance would only bring more pain. The one with the gun, the one who shot me, walked in front, leading the way to wherever he was being taken. The young Trion was shaking against the tight grip that held him, whether it was from fear, shock, or pain, he couldn't tell. "Wh-what do you want?" he gasped as the silence stretched on.

"Shut up Kake!", a gravelly voice shouted in his ear. Turlough flinched, dread mounting in his gut.

"Well, there's no need to be rude", he muttered, sarcasm placing it's familiar mask over his fear. Turlough yelped in shock as the comment earned him a blow to the ear. He spent the rest of the march in silence.

()

Stupid old Doctor! The Time Lord berated himself. He should have realised the killers would be about. He should have kept Turlough in his sites. The Doctor swallowed down his annoyance at himself and focused on the task at hand. It wasn't exactly hard to follow the men. Their feet, no doubt clad in heavy, military boots, made plenty of noise as they marched through the ghost town. Not to mention the clear trail of blood. He tried not to think about how badly Turlough could be hurt and instead turned his efforts towards making his steps as light as possible.

The men rounded two corners and pushed Turlough down a thin alleyway. The Doctor followed closely behind, peaking carefully around each corner until he saw them round the next bend. Finally, the thugs rounded one last corner and disappeared into a large hut. His heart quickened as he snuck up to the building and peered silently through the window. The inside was dark, lit only by a small fire burning in the hearth. The Doctor could just about make out five figures in the gloom. They all stood as Turlough and his escort's entered. The fear in the young Trion's face was clear as his captors kicked out his legs from under him and forced him to his knees. He made an involuntary grunt as he struck the ground, struggling with a newfound fervour against the hands that held him. "What do you think you're doing?", the red-head demanded, putting on an unconvincing show of bravado. "Why have you brought me here?"

The Trion boy shrank back as the tallest of the figures advanced towards him. "Now what is this?" he growled. With a gesture that almost seemed gentle, he crouched down to look into Turlough's eyes. As he did, the light of the doorway flooded onto his face. It was so unremarkable that it was almost boring. He wore the same uniform as the other men, beige and vaguely military. On his head sat a beret made out of the same material. His face was deeply tanned, small and pointed, and his eyes held the look of an extremely satisfied rat. Yes, thought the Doctor, Nothing remarkable at all.

"It seems", he continued softly, "That we did not catch all the vermin in the nest".

"I-I don't know what you're talking about", Turlough stammered. "I've only just arrived!"

The man shoved his face violently into his prisoner's. Turlough jerked back, but was forced to stay put by the two pairs of hands holding him. "Really?" the man snapped. "Then where exactly did you arrive from?"

Uncertainty flashed across Turlough's face before he managed to cover it. "From nowhere, really", he answered, "I'm just a traveller".

The Leader's eyes clouded as he thoughtfully extracted a knife from his belt. The young Trion froze as he ever-so-gently laid the tip of the knife on his cheek. Turlough whimpered in pure terror. "Please!" he begged, in nothing more than a whisper.

"I didn't ask if you were a traveller", the Leader remarked in a conversational tone. "I asked where you were from, _Kake_".

The red-head took in a long shuddering breath, seeming unable to answer.

The man smiled in pleasure. "My knife doesn't like liars, boy". He let the blade slide down his prisoner's face. He placed the point carefully under Turlough's chin. "If you want to keep that deceiving tongue of yours in your mouth, I would suggest you tell me the truth".

"Oh, Turlough and the truth have always had a complicated relationship", the Doctor said as he leaned casually on the door frame. "Personally, I would suggest a softer approach". The men, in unison, whipped their heads to the door. The two men holding Turlough forgot momentarily about their task and turned as well. But none of them were not fast enough to stop what happened next. As soon as the thugs started to move, the lithe Time Lord sprang at one of the men near Turlough and placed his index finger firmly under the man's jawbone. And then the most peculiar thing happened. Every muscle in the man's body seized up in the same instant. A small gasp escaped his mouth as he found himself completely paralysed. Before the others could so much as move, the Doctor lifted up his other hand in a warning. "I'd rethink that if I were you. I am quite capable of ending this man's life right here and now".

The men stopped, staring at their comrade who was, at the present, frozen in a moment of surprise and fear. No one dared challenge the Time Lord's pronouncement. The Leader, still crouching next to Turlough, rose slowly. His body radiation with anger. "Who are you?" he snapped, clutching his knife.

The Doctor smiled his most charming smile. "I'm The Doctor. How do you do?"

The leader threw his head back and let out a laugh; a loud, mocking, unpleasant laugh, the malice in it not lost on his audience. "I am quite well, Doctor. Much better than you will be when I plunge my knife into your filthy _Kake_ chest!" He took a threatening step closer, brandishing his steel.

"Ah ah ah!" the Doctor warned, waggling the finger of his free hand like a teacher reprimanded a student. "Now I don't know who these Kakes are or why you hold such animosity against them, but frankly I don't care at the moment." In an instant he dropped the pleasant facade. "Kindly let Turlough step over here before I am forced to do something disagreeable to your friend". No one moved but the Doctor felt his captive tremble with fear at his words. He felt sick knowing he was the cause of the man's terror, but he shoved the matter aside. He must keep Turlough safe from these murderers.

The Leader stared at him. Turlough still knelt on the ground, no longer physically restrained by the thugs, but blocked from leaving by the leader. After a moment that seemed to last for a lifetime, the man stepped to the side.

For a second there was silence, and then the Doctor flitted his gaze down as Turlough scrambled to his feet and slunk over to his side. His red-headed friend looked up expectantly at him, asking what the next move was. "Go", the Doctor said, not so much as looking into Turlough's eyes.

The Trion youth stared back in shock, alarm crossing his face. "But-"

The Time Lord's eyes flashed dangerously. "Just get out of here, Turlough!" he shouted. There was no room for debate.

Turlough's expression slowly dawned in awful understanding. With a look of dread, he nodded his head and darted out the door.

The Doctor let out a breath of relief as his friend disappeared from view. He turned his gaze back to the Leader whose eyes glittered with gleeful malice. "Well, you've rescued your friend", he prodded, "What happens next?"

The Doctor took a breath. "Next, you all stay exactly where you are while I walk out the door with this gentlemen", he indicated the paralyzed man. "When my friend and I are safely on our way, I will release him and we never have to cross paths again".

The thug leader stared back at him, a slow smile creeping across his lips. "No".

He took an unconscious half-step back, a sense of sinking realization lodging in his stomach. "I'm warning you, I can kill your friend with a flick of my wrist". The sentence stuck in the Doctor's throat, regret and shame at his actions washing over him.

The leader smiled wider. "Then do it".

The Doctor's hearts stopped beating. "W-what?" he stuttered disbelievingly.

The smile disappeared. "Do it", he demanded, "Kill him now and I will let you walk free". There was a terrible hunger in his eyes.

The Doctor considered for a moment, only a moment, and let his hands fall to his sides in defeat. His hostage collapsed as his limbs suddenly came back under his own control. "Oh well", he conceded, "It was worth a try".

The thug leader showed his teeth in a victorious grin. "You see, Doctor", he started as his men swarmed the Doctor and violently wrenched the Time Lord's hands behind his back, "That's the problem with your kind. You're never willing to do what it takes".

()

Turlough's lungs burned as he streaked through the desert town. His heart beat against his chest, trying to out pace his legs and race on ahead. But still, he dared not stop. _Find Nyssa. Get to the TARDIS. Save the Doctor._ The Trion boy chanted to himself. _Find Nyssa. Get to the TARDIS. Save the Doctor._

_Save yourself._ A tiny voice joined in. The voice that had followed him through his wartime career. After a second's hesitation, he shook his head and pushed it aside. _Find Nyssa. Get to the TARDIS. Save the Doctor. Find Nyssa. Get to the TARDIS. Save the Doctor. Find Nyssa- Find Nyssa- Find Nyssa…_ His thoughts descended into one singular task as he found his way back to the main street. Or attempted to. The streets and buildings started to blur together and he was forced to stop. Turlough spun around in circles, trying to look for something, anything recognisable. Everywhere he turned it was the same; Sand buildings and sand streets littered with the dead. His mind screamed at him to go, to keep running and leave this war-zone behind.

A shout erupted from behind Turlough. _They're coming,_ he realised as a cluster of angry yelling rose from the silence. The sound of rushing blood filled the young Trion boy's head, blocking out ever thought except blind panic. He started to shake uncontrollably, his body remembering the pain and terror of a battlefield.

_Move. Move! Hide!_ He clung to the incoherent command, unable to follow any other impulse. He dragged himself inside the closest hut and sank to his knees behind a stack of wooden crates. Despite the new, less exposed location, Turlough still shook, praying that the involuntary movement wouldn't alert the thugs to him. He clamped his hands over his mouth as he started to hyperventilate, terrified that the slightest sound would be his downfall.

He watched through a slit in the crates as three thugs appeared on the street. The men walked along at a slow pace, entering every hut as they made their way closer and closer. Turlough shrank away, wishing he could just fall through the ground beneath him. They were getting closer, and closer, and closer, and closer. Turlough was no longer breathing as they entered the last hut before his. This is it. He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable. Maybe they wouldn't shoot him on site if he was lucky.

A strangled yelp erupted from outside, followed quickly by a sound of surprised triumph. Turlough's eyes burst open again, seeking the source of the noise. A thug stumbled out of the hut, dragging someone by the hair. Turlough gasped as he watched Nyssa struggle on the ground, clawing at the man to release her head. "Let go of me!" she shouted, fear and anger straining her voice. She continued to battle fiercely as the two other men joined the fray and wrenched her to her feet. Dirt covered her face and clothes, giving the normally gentle and calm Trakenite a look of desperation. Turlough's knuckles turned white as he pressed them harder over his mouth, cutting off his desire to call out to Nyssa. Feeling, not for the first time in his life, like a traitor, he watched as his last friend was dragged out of his sight.


	5. Akesh

Nyssa tried not to worry as the Doctor slipped out of sight. Turlough would be fine, the Doctor would make sure of that. Besides, she had no time to dwell on anything but the present. The girl had retreated into herself, the gunshot taking her back to the horrors she had witnessed no doubt. He clung to her mother's unmoving hands as she rocked back and forth, barely even acknowledging Nyssa's presence. The older woman leaned forward. "It's alright, Little One", she spoke with a low and steady voice. "You're safe here. We won't let anything happen to you".

The child's gaze snapped to Nyssa's, staring her down with an expression of terror. "P-promise?" she whispered so quietly Nyssa almost didn't hear her.

The Trakenite nodded with enthusiasm. "Promise".

()

The Doctor gasped in pain as he was thrown to his knees. The thugs held on tight, pinning his arms behind him with nearly enough force to dislocate them. The ones that weren't busy holding him, disappeared swiftly out the doors. The Time Lord breathed out slowly through his nose. "Your hospitality leaves a little to be desired." he spoke through a grimace, trying his best to ignore the pain in his shoulders. He smiled his most innocent smile. "You haven't even offer me a cup of tea, let alone introduced yourself. That's always the first step to good hospitality, I say!" He hissed in renewed pain as one of the thugs twisted his wrist into a distinctly unnatural position. "Although in your case", he grinded out, "I'd say the first step would be to stop murdering innocent people." He shot an angry look at the leader.

The thug leader sauntered up to his new prisoner, towering over and forcing the Doctor to look up at him. "You will call me Akesh." he smiled and waved his hand dismissively. The soldier stopped twisting.

The Doctor smiled back. "Although that's not your real name is it? Akesh. It sounds much more like a title to me. What does it mean? Murderer? Torturer? Leader? Trapeze Artist?"

A look struck Akesh's face before it just as quickly disappeared again. "You are funny". He smiled his predatory smile. "Too bad I do not have the time for that".

"A pity."

Something flashed in the man's eyes. The Doctor did not register the flurry of movement in time and the fist connected with his jaw. The force of the hit drove his head violently to the side. The rest of his body followed as he sagged against the men holding him. He let out an involuntary cry as pain blossomed across his jawbone. That _hurt, _far more than he felt it should have. Sucking a breath in through gritted teeth, the Doctor willed himself to focus back in on the man before him. He raised his head again to meet him only to find Akesh's face less than an inch from his. The leader shoved his face directly into the Doctor's, forcing him to shrink back. "Do not mock me, KAKE!" he screamed. Spittle flew from between his gnashing teeth and his eyes blazed with fury. "If I wanted to, I could kill you right now!" He had a little scar running across his left cheek, the Doctor noticed.

He looked up at Akesh with calm eyes. "You say that, and yet you still haven't killed me, have you?" Something twitched in the man's expression. "You didn't seem to have any trouble with the rest of the town", the Doctor's eyes grew dark, "So, what's stopping you now, hmm?" For a moment, neither of them moved, both staring daggers at each other. Then, the leader's body relaxed and the tension eased out of his shoulders.

Slowly, he reached out and the Doctor hated himself for flinching away. With deceptive gentleness, he ran his fingers down his prisoner's jawline. The Doctor forced himself not to move or break eye contact. This violent little man would not win. "Well, I wouldn't make any money if I did that", Akesh whispered before abruptly removing his hand and standing up.

"Money?!" he said in disbelief. A sense of deep, burning anger flowed through the Doctor. All the needless killing and cruelty for something so trivial. "And what about the town, were they not worth sparing?" he all but spat the words, trying and failing to control his outburst.

Akesh shook his head with a laugh. "Of course not!" He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I can't make anything from criminals and blood-traitors. I just need the Kakes they tried to hide".

"Kakes", the Doctor echoed, "I keep hearing that word. What are Kakes?"

The leader laughed. A sneering, growling laugh that rang harshly in the Doctor's ears. "Now you're wasting my time", he spat. "And I don't like time-wasters!" He loomed over the Doctor. "Thieves", he hissed, venom dripping from his voice, "Murderers, rapists, impure filth," With each word, he took a careful step closer, "Foreigners, invaders, aliens". He was now inches from the Doctor's face again, his expression twisted with hatred and disgust.

_Impure, _the Doctor thought, a sick feeling spreading into his gut. The reality was saying started to sink in. All those bodies… He struggled to find his voice. "Foreigners", he breathed, hardly daring to admit it. "You're wiping out anyone who doesn't have pure human blood", his voice hitched, "That's monstrous".

Akesh shrugged. "Their blood is not of our world and it carries the stink of decay. We cannot let it contaminate the purity of Ge'Phaidros", he said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Is that why you killed those people?" The Doctor swallowed hard. "Because they were helping foreigners?" He trembled against his captors, anger and grief starting to overwhelm him. This regeneration was turning out to be a little more emotional than the last.

Akesh cocked his head to the side, a dangerous look starting to appear. "They were criminals", he said automatically, "They got what they deserved".

The Doctor closed his eyes. "You know, I've been around for a long time", he said in a disturbingly calm voice, "but the depths of depravity that some people can fall to, never fails to turn my stomach".

They were coming. Nyssa could hear them. They had started a systematic search of the huts on the other end of the street. They would make their way here in a matter of minutes. Did they already have the Doctor and Turlough? She shook her head, she had no time to think about that. The girl had finally allowed her to sit alongside her. As the child heard the men approaching, she grabbed Nyssa's hand like a lifeline. Nyssa took a deep breath. _Brave heart. _A strangely soothing voice echoed in her head. She found the little girl's eyes and smiled warmly. "Hey little one", she said as pleasantly as she could, "I need you to do something for me". The child binked at her. "Is that okay?"

The girl's face shifted with uncertainty for a moment. After a bit, she gave Nyssa a little nod, pressing her thin frame closer to her newfound guardian. Nyssa blinked away sudden, strong emotions as she thought of Neeka. She never realized how much she missed her little daughter.

Nyssa took a deep breath. She couldn't let the soldiers get to the child. "Okay. Do you see those boxes, little one?" She pointed to the corner where a haphazard pile of crates had been stacked. The girl nodded, her breath quickening. "I need you to go hide behind them and be as quiet as you can, okay?" Nyssa spoke clearly and slowly to make sure the child understood. The girl looked to be on the edge of panic, her eyes wide and unfocused with fear. "Little one!", Nyssa said a little more forcefully. The girl snapped her gaze to Nyssa's. "Do you understand?"

The girl took a breath in. "Yes", she squeaked back, before getting up and hurriedly scurrying behind the boxes.

Nyssa gave her one last reassuring smile before getting to her feet. With the lightness that one might associate with a tight-rope walker, Nyssa made her way over to the hut entrance and flattened herself against the wall. She took a moment to quiet her breathing in preparation for what was to come. She was the only thing standing between those men and the girl. She would not fail. Every little scuffle from the thug's boots screamed in her ear. Every thrum of her own heart pounded like a drum. He was getting closer. One of the soldiers had broken off from the other. His shadow fell across the doorway.

Nyssa tightened her muscles in anticipation, like pulling back the drawstring as the enemy moved closer. His weapon entered her view first. A long, jagged blade made of black metal. Nyssa held herself back for a fraction of a breath, and just as the tip of his nose entered, she struck.

The Traken woman launched her body forward with all the strength and speed she possessed. The man yelped in shock as she collided with him. He hurdled to the ground with her still on top of him. Nyssa lashed out desperately, knocking the sharp implement far out of his reach.

By this point, the thug had recovered from his surprise somewhat and newfound anger darkened his eyes. He struck out with his elbow and caught Nyssa in the stomach. Her gasp hitched in her chest as he rolled and managed to throw her off. He got to his feet quickly. Quicker than Nyssa as she held a hand to her torso. The battle was won, she knew, as he rained down blow after blow on her knelt form. Even so, she continued to struggle, refusing to let so much as a whisper of pain slip through her lips as he grabbed a fistful of hair and dragged her bodily from the hut.

She couldn't help but smile slightly, despite the pain and indignity of being hauled through the dirt. The child was safe.

()

The heavy thump of military boots as they stomped there way to the hut was unmistakable. The Doctor's head turned automatically as he heard the thugs return. The rest of the men turned with him, eager to see what they brought back. A thin little thrill of fear raced through him.

_Had Turlough escaped?_

The squad emerged in the doorway and the Doctor's tentative hope plummeted to the bottom of the deepest pit.

_No no not her please not her!_

Nyssa was in an alarming state. Covered in head to toe with dirt, cuts, and bruises she almost looked like a different person. Or perhaps it was the eyes. The eyes that always held such care and gentleness, alive with fury. The Doctor's thoughts shot back to the place he had left her. Where was the child? Had these men murdered her too? The thought was too grim for him to dwell on.

Akesh took a look at Nyssa and let out a cackling, mocking laugh. "Just you and the orange welp was it?" he sneered, his every word filled with enjoyment. "You should have told me you had such a beautiful little _Najjik_ with you!"

"Whatever you hope to achieve," Nyssa breathed softly, "you won't get it." There wasn't so much anger or defiance in her voice, but a sense of conviction. The Doctor's insides squirmed in fear as the leader drew himself closer to Nyssa. It was a real, deep dread. The kind of dread that settled around him like amber. He could always deal with a threat to himself, but he could never bear the thought of being helpless to protect his friends. An image of an exploding freighter forced its way into his mind.

"Akesh, listen to me," The Doctor kept his voice low, taking every care to be sure his words wouldn't evoke retribution. "You can do whatever you want with me. I'll do anything you want! But please just let her go. She can't possibly be of any use to you!" Desperation and just a little bit of panic edged his words.

Nyssa's sky grey eyes found his. She did not speak and yet she held an aura of great resolve.

_Don't worry about me,_ the eyes said.

Akesh looked at him in mild amusement, as if he was an adult listening to the pedantic ramblings of a child. "Anything?" He abandoned his interest in Nyssa and drew closer. "I wonder what you mean by 'Anything'?" A soft chuckle bubbled in his throat. "You would not even kill one enemy to save your friends." Akesh paused, looking his prisoner up and down. The Doctor stared silently back. "I am forced to wonder what 'Anything' means to such a coward."

"Coward isn't exactly the label I'd use." He looked straight into the thug's malevolent face. "In fact, I find a man who kills the defenseless is far more likely to be named such a thing." The Doctor could see his comment spark a glimmer of anger in his opponent, but Akesh quickly hid it. Instead his expression took on a look of faint confusion.

He shook his head quizzically. "You make no sense. Is a farmer a coward for butchering his pigs?" Disgust shuddered through the Doctor's body and he found himself unable to answer.

Victorious, Akesh turned back to Nyssa with a grin. "Put her with him." The Doctor watched as his friend was forced over to him and thrown to the ground. The thugs didn't bother to hold her arms. Nyssa pushed herself up to her knees, brushing herself reassuringly against the Doctor as she did. "As tempting as your offer is, Doctor. The simple truth remains the same." The two prisoners looked up at him. "Two Kakes are worth more money than one." The Doctor closed his eyes for a moment. No plan. No apparent means of escape, and Nyssa's life resting precariously next to his. He tried to draw strength from Nyssa's familiar warmth as he looked up at the man whose name he now understood the meaning of. Akesh. Their Owner. Their Master.


	6. A Lifetime of Change

Fear wasn't new to Turlough. In fact, he spent the majority of his wary life trying to escape it. Although, he had been distinctly unsuccessful at it since boarding the TARDIS. Nearly every place he had been to in that wheezing machine had stank of fear and danger. But recently, Turlough had found the scent less pervasive, less pungent. He had wondered if perhaps this was because the Doctor's own strength and kindness in the face of evil was starting to cancel it out. It was a nice thought at the very least. But right now, there was no protection. No reassurance or comfort against the waves of fear that rolled off of him as he crouched, paralysed long after Nyssa had been dragged away. At this very moment, the emptiness of the hut seemed far more preferable to the battleground outside.

I wonder if I could just stay here forever? Turlough thought.

Of course not! Snapped something else.

Turlough shook it away in irritation. He would stay here as long as he wanted and no imaginary voice would compel him to do otherwise. He shifted slowly into a more comfortable position, all the while keeping his gaze fixed on the hut opening. He very well might have stayed there forever… but the universe just didn't seem to be on his side today.

Something stirred on the street. Something small, and wary, and humanoid. Slowly, ever so slowly, a little human girl poked her head out of the hut across the street. She scanned the empty road with agonizing slowness, her eyes wide with fear. Turlough blinked fiercely, just to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

Much to his disappointment, he wasn't. Having looked at the street up and down, the girl ducked her head back into the hut and disappeared from sight. Turlough gaped at the now blank doorway.

I could just ignore her. I have no obligation to help. He reasoned, his stomach not so much doing somersaults as, performing an entire circus act.

"Just leave it!" he whispered to himself, squeezing his eyes shut as if the whole predicament would go away if he couldn't see it. "It's none of my business!" Even as he attempted to talk himself out of it, Turlough's thoughts cast back to the image of Nyssa being dragged from that hut. The same hut. Was that why she had been there? She was protecting the strange child?

No no just walk away!

Turlough's shoulders slumped in defeat.

()

The thugs wrenched the Doctor and Nyssa to their feet. The Doctor held himself stiffly, determined not to be defeated by this endless violence. Akesh lead the way out of the hut, followed by the rest of his men and his two prisoners being shoved along. The Doctor looked at Nyssa as she walked alongside him. He was scared. Not for himself, of course. He wasn't overly concerned about his own wellbeing…

"Are you alright?" The Doctor whispered as they were forced through the bloody streets. He studied her bruised and dirtied face, feeling a building surge of guilt at his inability to protect her. "Did they hurt you?"

Nyssa shook her head. "Not badly. What about you?" She looked up at him, the same concern reflected in her face.

"I'm alright." he whispered. And what about the child? He longed to ask. He feared the worst but dared not say such a thing in the presence of these killers.

She looked at him meaningfully. "Everything's alright", she said.

The Doctor felt a wave of relief wash over him as he saw the meaning behind her eyes. The girl was safe. He nodded his understanding. There was a long pause. "I'm… I'm sorry", he murmured ashamedly. "I'm sorry I got you mixed up in all this. I should have made sure you were safe."

Nyssa looked straight ahead as she walking, giving no indication that she heard. "You couldn't have prevented this." she stated, "And I am my own person, Doctor. No one is responsible for me and my safety but I." She looked him full in the face. Within her eyes she held much wisdom. Much pain and sacrifice and joy. A lifetime stood between this Nyssa and the young Nyssa he had known before.

The Doctor didn't know if he felt sad or happy about it. The Nyssa he had known, had come to cherish as a beloved daughter and companion, was gone. Even worse, from his perspective, he had only lost her a few days ago. In her place was this strong woman filled to the brim with life… but much more distant from him. The Doctor felt a pang of… something. He wasn't quite sure what.

He opened his mouth to respond, but he was interrupted as one of the thugs shoved him, urging him to march quicker. He stumbled forward, straight into a corpse lying in the middle of the street. He reeled back, scrambling not to fall over the victim. Several of the thugs laughed as he managed to regain his balance. The Doctor took a deep breath to contain his anger and forced himself to keep walking forward. They had reached the outskirts of the village, he noticed. A little fence separated the last buildings from the endless expanse of the desert.

Pressed together in a tight group were twelve horses, all tied to the fence post. They pawed and shuffled as Akesh and his men approached them. The Doctor and Nyssa were brought to a halt a couple feet away. Nyssa looked on with an expression of confusion. "Doctor, those are earth mammals. How did they get here? We're not on earth, are we?"

The Doctor gave a slight shake of his head. "No we're not. We are on an Earth colony planet. There are thousands spread across the stars" He paused. "Or rather, a Human colony planet. Earth has been gone for a long time. These people probably don't even remember it."

He and Nyssa watched in silence as the men tacked their horses and slung their weapons over their backs. The Doctor wondered briefly if they could make a break for it while their captors were distracted. But three thugs still guarded them, watching them intently. An escape attempt would most likely end with a bullet in the back. He was broken from his line of thought as he watched Akesh kick his horse savagely in the leg for failing to listen. He winced sympathetically as the animal flinched away. Nyssa grimaced as well.

"Bring the najjik here", Akesh barked suddenly. Nyssa couldn't help but gasp in discomfort as a thug snatched her arm and dragged her over.

A spike of fear stabbed through the Doctor's hearts. "What are you doing?" he demanded. He started towards Nyssa, determined not to be separated. Immediately, he was grabbed by two sets of hands. Not caring that it was pointless, the Doctor struggled against them. He strained towards Nyssa as she was brought right before Akesh.

The men yanked the Doctor back, nearly pulling him off his feet. "It's alright, Doctor!" Nyssa shouted. His mind screamed at him to keep fighting, but he forced himself to listen to her soft voice. He stilled himself. His hearts beat against his chest as he watched the thug leader for any signs of danger. If he decided to take a knife to Nyssa now, there was very little he could do to stop it.

Instead, the man pulled out a length of chain. A pair of manacles were attached to the end and he snapped them over Nyssa's wrists. She tried to stay very still, wiping away any sign of emotion or reaction. The Doctor couldn't help but admire her resolve in the face of such treatment. Beneath her mask, he could still see traces of fear. She hid them well.

The Doctor, on the other hand, wore his fear and disgust on his face as the leader held the other end of the chain and mounted his horse. He wrapped it around the horn of the saddle and smiled mockingly back at his prisoner on a leash.

The Doctor was forced into identical cuffs. The man holding his chain mounted and spurred his horse into a walk. The Doctor gritted his teeth in renewed outrage as he and Nyssa were dragged along by their wrists out into the unending sand.


	7. The March

Turlough held his aching, blood-soaked arm as he shuffled closer to the hut. With every step that drew him closer, Turlough felt an extra seed of doubt lodge itself firmly in his chest.

Idiot!

He cursed, for perhaps the fiftieth time.

I should be helping my friends, not every little creature I happen to come across!

Only Chieka knew what kept him moving forward. Although he doubted that any of the Gods were responsible for this annoying selflessness. The influence of a certain dual-hearted alien was the prime suspect on that front.

Yet, despite his many misgivings, he found himself standing at the opening of the hut. No time like the present, Turlough reasoned and stepped quickly inside. The Trion did not waste time taking in his surroundings and instead squinted through the gloom for the subject of his interest. Sure enough, crouched in the corner, by two corpses he noticed grimly, was the girl, shaking with uncontained terror. Other than the obvious signs of starvation and suffering, the first thing Turlough noticed about the child, was the look in her eye.

"What did you do with Ni'sa!" she squeaked. Her eyes betrayed her fear as she attempted to appear angry.

Turlough felt an absurd urge to laugh. The child's accent was soft and lilting. It somehow managed to smooth out any harsh sounds or consonants that would have succeeded in making her sound even a tiny bit threatening. "Nyssa?" he corrected, trying his best to sound nice. "Were you with her?" He took a hurried step towards the child.

She shrank into the wall. "S-Stay away!" she screamed. "Leave us alone!"

Turlough flinched violently at her outburst of noise. "Shut up!" he snapped desperately. His mind flashed to images of the thugs finding them.

The girl blinked at him, stunned by his sudden harshness. Turlough fought to keep his own fear off his face.

Oh Gods, I'm not good at this!

"I'm-I'm not here to hurt you." He took a slower, more tentative step towards her. "I'm Nyssa's friend."

She looked at him. Her surprise overrode her fear for a second. "No you're not." she stated.

"Yes I am!" Turlough insisted indignantly.

The girl scowled. "You are not the Doc'tiurr".

Turlough felt that absurd urge again. "Well, I'm her other friend", he explained, struggling to stifle a smile. "I'm Turlough".

"Tirr'low."

This time, he really did laugh. "Yeah", he managed to splutter out, "more or less". For a second, Turlough could have sworn the kid smiled at him… or maybe it was just a trick of the light. "Do you have a name?"

Her expression closed again. "Yes", she said curtly.

"Oh", Turlough responded lamely. "Well um… Why don't you come with me and you can, uh, help me find Ni'sa and the Doc'tiurr. You can tell me your name on the way too." He held out his hand expectantly, waiting for her eager agreement.

She stared at him. "No", she said. Turlough stared back in surprise. That was not the response he had expected. "I don't want to go with you. I want to stay here!", she demanded, clutching the corpse before her. "I-I can't leave my Mom and Dad." Her voice cracked and he could see the beginnings of tears forming.

He sighed. A big, sad, gentle sigh. "Look kid…", he started and then stopped. What in Hellkva's name was he supposed to tell her? "You're parents aren't… around anymore", he finished clumsily.

The child looked at him blankly. She didn't understand, he realised. Or at least… didn't want to understand. "They just need help. They're sleeping". The tears spilled over onto her little cheek. "They'll wake up soon. If I leave they'll be worried". Hot, thick drops raced down her face as she gulped for breath. The tears were coming faster and faster.

"Listen to me", he insisted hurriedly, becoming increasingly uncomfortable as her hysterics intensified. "They're…", he swallowed thickly. "They're not going to wake up. I'm sorry."

Her reaction was instantaneous. She screwed up her eyes and covered her ears with a terrible wail. "You're lying!" she sobbed uncontrollably. "LIAR! Get away from me! Get away!" Her eyes were filled with rage and grief and confusion, emotions too strong for any child to endure.

Turlough shook his head in dismay. Why couldn't she just understand! "You don't want that", he snapped rather harshly, " just come with me." He made a grab for her arm. Maybe if he could just get her away from her parent's corpses, she would calm down.

As soon as his hand wrapped itself around her wrist, something clicked in the child's head. She was no longer there. She screamed in utter terror. Using the only weapon at her disposal, she bit him. As soon as her teeth found flesh, she clamped down, tearing into him with her every last shred of strength.

Turlough howled, yanking his hand away from the child-turned-feral-beast. "Fine!" he shouted in blind anger. "You can just stay here and starve then!" He turned on his heel and stormed towards the exit. "Not my responsibility!" he growled.

Stupid! Stupid! I should just mind my own damn business!

"Where are you going?" The pitiful whine rose from between sobs and stopped the Trion dead in his tracks.

Turlough hover by the doorway, still turned away. "To find my friends". He turned to her. "I need to help them."

"Don't go."

He stared at her. The beast was gone, and in it's place cowered a scared, grief-stricken child. "I have to", he sighed. He stepped forward and crouched down beside her. "But you can come. I can help you." He smiled gently, or at least he hoped it looked gentle. "We can find food, and drink, and rest." A spark of interest lit up in her.

"I won't hurt you." Turlough promised, reaching out his hand again. This time he offered it slowly. Opening his palm up to her, imploring her to take his hand. The child stared at it for what felt like an eternity. Emotion after conflicting emotion battled for dominance. Her hand twitched back and forth. Turlough waited. The girl looked up at him in uncertainty as she slowly, slowly lifted her hand from her mother. He smiled as she tentatively rested her hand in his. "There. Now that isn't to bad is it?" She gave him a weak little smile. "Can you tell me your name now?"

"Lu'saqi. She whispered her name, almost like she didn't believe it."My name is Lu'saqi."

()

It was hot. Burning hot. Trickles of sweat dripped lazily over the Doctor's eyes. He shook his head in a useless attempt to clear his vision. It was quite amazing, he mused, how hot it truly had to be for a Gallifreyan to feel it so intensely. His chains rattled with considerable discomfort against his wrists. He took care after the first few "lessons", which consisted mostly of his keeper trying to yank him off his feet, to keep up with the riders. It was more difficult than it seemed, he had discovered. Although the horses stayed at a steady pace, the terrain was much less reliable. Every few steps, his foot would sink inches into the loose sand, and without the free use of his arms, it would take considerable floundering to recover. The sun sat low and orange in the sky. The Doctor had tracked the sun's position since before midday, when their journey had begun. Now it was close to setting.

The thug jerked the chain forward again as the Doctor struggled to climb the latest dune. He grunted in frustration and pain as the metal bit into his wrists and pitched him forward.

He recover as swiftly as he could and glanced over to his companion. Nyssa was struggling far more, fighting the sand for any kind of purchase as she rounded the top of the hill. She earned the same treatment from Akesh as she failed to keep up. With a gasp, the Trakenite fell to her knees as the chain urged her forward.

She didn't get up.

The Doctor was at her side in an instant, falling back as far as his binds would allow. He dropped down beside her and slid his arms gently under hers as best as he could. She smiled weakly, her eyes half closed from exhaustion.

"Nyssa?", he said, concern adding urgency to his words. "Nyssa, can you hear me?" No reply. She simply closed her eyes and sagged into his weight. "Nyssa!" Panic edged his voice.

"Hurry up!" his keeper snarled, pulling at the chain mightily. The Doctor hissed in pain as his hands were jerked away from Nyssa and she wilted to the ground. He snatched a length of the binds and pulled back with all his strength. The chain ripped from the other man's hand and landed with a dull thud in the sand. The thug screeched in anger. The Doctor turned his attention back to his friend, taking full advantage of the short reprieve. He placed a hand on her cheek. She was burning hot, her skin a frighteningly ruddy shade of red. He rested two fingers against her neck to discover a heartbeat that was far too fast and far too weak.

Nyssa stirred beneath his touch, mumbling incoherently. "Nyssa? Nyssa, can you hear me?" The Doctor took her head softly into his lap. A horrible retching noise burst from her throat as her eyes flashed open. She instinctively turned to the side as an attack of dry heaves wracked her entire body. The Doctor held her, swaying slowly back and forth, wishing desperately that he could do more. Finally, shaking with exhaustion, the bout of nausea left her, and she fell back into the Doctor's lap.

The thug dismounted his horse and stormed over to the Doctor, pulling out his long, black blade. "You filthy animal!" he spat, "Get up!" He delivered a swift kick to the Timelord's side who simply curled around his new bruise and stayed exactly where he was.

"She's hurt!" the Doctor pleaded with the man. "Please! I-I think she may have severe heat stroke." But the thug wasn't listening.

He grabbed the short length of chain between the Doctor's manacles and wrenched him upward. He fought against the thug in a useless struggle as he was hauled to his feet. The Doctor froze as he felt the cool touch of the blade against his throat. The thug brought his face offensively close, his eyes bulging with rage. "I should slit you right now and leave your disgusting blood to paint the sand!" Spittle flew from his gnashing teeth.

The Doctor shrank away, turning his gaze desperately to Akesh. "But that's not what you want, is it!" he shouted, grasping for any protection against the madman. "I doubt you'd get any of your precious money for two corpses", he all but snarled.

Akesh looked down at him, with a look that could only be described as vaguely amused. "I would get precious little for two disobedient beasts as well, Doc'tiurr" he said mildly.

The Doctor felt the jaws snap closed around him. No way out. He could not let Nyssa die for his pride. "Please", he begged, lowering his voice to a respectful murmer, "Help her. She-she won't make it without your help".

Akesh smiled, and the Doctor forced himself not to shudder. The leader waved his hand and the thug lowered his blade with a grumble of disappointment. The Doctor worked to remain still and calm as Akesh slid down from his mount and over to Nyssa, who was no longer conscious at all.

The Timelord's hand twitched as the man picked her up and carried her back over to the horse, but he stayed where he was. With a gentleness the Doctor was surprised to find the leader capable of, he rested Nyssa in the saddle in front of him.

"Thank you", the Doctor breathed. With a wicked grin, Akesh turned his back and nudged his horse back into a walk.

Having retrieved his prisoner's chain, the Doctor's keeper scrambled back to his horse and did the same. And the march continued.


	8. Pop Quiz

It's been a while, but I'm continuing on! I'd love to hear any feedback or constructive criticism you have!

Content Warning: Mild violence, Implications of genocide

* * *

Intense, burning, orange light had slowly faded away into a world of inky blackness punctuated with pinpricks of starlight as the miserable trek wore on. The Doctor's legs shook with the effort it took to remain upright and his mind flickered on the edge of delirium. At least the darkness provided a bit of relief from the sweltering sun. Although the heat had rapidly given away to a chill that grew colder and colder every second. Nyssa still wavered between lucidity and unconsciousness, her head bobbing up and down with the gait of the horse.

The Doctor wondered vaguely if the thugs would simply keep dragging him along until he dropped dead. The possibility did not seem so far off at the moment. He almost couldn't find the energy to care. He barely even noticed the chains anymore. His handler had long since grown bored with yanking him along, much to the Doctor's relief. He started to shiver as the cold crept its way in, a coldness he couldn't have imagined he would ever feel again only a few hours ago.

As the Doctor struggled to continue through his exhaustion, a sudden and loud whoop of joy erupted from one of the thugs. His gaze snapped up to see what all the excitement was about and almost whooped for joy himself. Rising from the darkness was a small structure, and then another structure, and another. Before him appeared an entire village, silent and still in the night. It didn't take a genius to realise what the thug had been so excited about. A place to rest. He glanced up at Nyssa to discover that she was regaining consciousness, blinking in the darkness.

Nyssa swept her gaze around, clearly feeling very disoriented. She physically recoiled in disgust as she discovered Akesh sitting directly behind her. And then her eyes wandered farther behind until they finally fell on the Doctor. He tried to put on his best reassuring smile, but he imagined it was rather poor attempt at reassurance considering his current state. Her dismayed face said as much.

The two's eyes only meet for a moment before the Doctor was abruptly jerked forward. He couldn't help but gasp in pain as the cuffs cut into his wrists and he was thrown bodily forward. He looked up to see the thugs spur their horses into a run. His burning legs were forced into a clumsy, agonising sprint. He wrestled with the chains for any kind of release, but they proved just as unyielding as before.

After what seemed like the longest run in his life, the horses thundered into the village and came to a halt. Darkness clouded the Doctor's vision as he collapsed to his shaking hands and knees, gulping in lungfuls of air. "Doctor!" Nyssa cried, leaping down from the horse with a speed that surprised even Akesh.

The Trakenite woman started towards the Doctor, desperate to reach him. But she wasn't quite fast enough as Akesh jumped down after her, snatching her arm with unneeded aggression. "Do not run from me, _Najik,_" he hissed darkly. "Your friend will live," he smiled, "For at least as long as I need him."

Nyssa glared at him, lifting her chin in disdain. "It would take a lot more than a little man like you to kill the Doctor."

The Doctor felt a spike of fear ride up his spine as he saw that dangerous, violent glint in the man's eye. But the look only lasted for a moment before he shoved Nyssa into the arms of one of his henchmen. "Put her with the horses," he sneered. Then he turned fully to face his second prisoner, who was still struggling to get back to his feet. "Bring that one to the hut. I have some questions for him."

The Doctor did his best to keep his emotions off his face as he was grabbed by each arm, and dragged away from Nyssa.

()

_Ugh sand_, Turlough thought as he followed the barely visible trail. He had never really been the best tracker, especially compared to the rest of his troop back in the day. There had always been those who were better at it. In fact, that had been a trend that continued throughout the war. There was always someone better, someone braver, someone smarter. The only reason he had even been accepted into the army was because of his status as a Royal Son. And the Royal Son's place was in the front line protecting his people. _A fine job of that I ended up doing_, he thought wryly.

He shook his head in frustration, he had more important things to do than whine about the past. Lusaqi dragged her feet through the shifting sand as she clung to Turlough's hand. She had refused to give him back his hand since she had first grabbed it. He had found it annoying at first, but he didn't really mind it anymore.

He looked down at his young charge. She was practically hanging off of him now, her youthful face pulled down with exhaustion. Turlough felt a twist in his gut. It was becoming obvious that Lu'saqi wasn't going to make it much farther, not to mention their light was fading fast as the midday sun sank low in the horizon. They would have to find somewhere to rest soon. He felt another discrete pull of frustration as he considered how much faster he would be on his own, but he swallowed the feeling back down. He was stuck with her now. No way around it.

He cast his eyes over the horizon, looking for anything that stood out against the endless dunes. Something caught his eyes way off in the distance. Something long and tall, and most certainly man-made. Perhaps is was a road-sign to a village? Or some kind of map? The only problem was that it was far off the trail. In the opposite direction in fact. Turlough struggled for a few moments as he stared at the thing. Leaving the trail would mean losing the trail. Losing Nyssa and the Doctor. His heart skipped a beat at that thought. _But pushing forward would kill her, _the voice piped up. He looked down at Lu'saqi. Her rags clung to her skeletal body, drenched in sweat and her head lolled loosely from side to side as she stumbled onward. He sighed in defeat. There wasn't really any choice to be made.

"Lu'saqi", he prodded. With what looked like a great deal of effort, the child lifted her eyes to meet his. "You must be tired. Would you like me to carry you for a bit?"

Lu'saqi considered him for a few fearful seconds. After a long, tense moment, she nodded tentatively. Turlough smiled. The pair came to a stop and he clumsily lifted her. He suppressed the gasp of pain as he bore weight onto his injured arm. Despite the hinderance, he finally managed to settle her into his grip.

A tiny little sigh of relief escaped Lu'saqi's lips as she finally relaxed into his arms, closing her eyes. Turlough took one last regretful look at the trail, feeling his stomach filling up with guilt upon the thought of abandoning his friends to the cruelty of this world. He shook his head, refusing to dwell on it and turned abruptly away, setting his eyes on the distant hope of salvation as he carried Lu'saqi away.

()

The Doctor grunted, more in frustration than pain, as he was unceremoniously thrown to the ground. He'd been brought, or more accurately, manhandled into one of the larger huts. His chains had been removed which provided him with at least a little bit of relief. But that feeling evaporated into the dry air, as he looked up to find Akesh lounging on a chair in front of him.

The Doctor flashed the despicable man with a smile as he got laboriously to his feet. His muscle still screamed at him to rest, but he ignored them as best he could. "What kind of questions do you have, exactly?" he questioned, eager to just get to the point. He wondered vaguely if the thugs had only brought him here to kill him. He shoved the thought to the back of his mind. "If its a pop quiz, I'll warn you, I'm not the best student. Borusa will tell you all about it".

A look of distinct annoyance crossed Akesh's face and the Doctor couldn't help but smile just a bit wider. "You talk and talk, yet rarely have anything to say, Doc'tiurr." the thug snarled. "Is that typical of your _kind_?"

The Doctor breathed out quickly through his nose in what might have been a chuckle of amusement. "Oh I'm not a very typical kind of person," he answered.

"Then what are you?"

"Oh, all sorts of things!" The Doctor said casually, "A scientist, a pilot, a poet, a healer, and a particularly good cricket player if I do say so myself!" He flashed his captors a wry grin.

Akesh said nothing for a moment, regarding his prisoner with something in between curiosity and frustration. "You are nothing but a criminal." he dismissed as he leaned forward aggressively in his chair. "Now tell me what you are doing on our world before I am forced to make my own conclusions."

The Doctor cocked his head theatrically to the side. "And what exactly would those conclusions be?"

Akesh bared his teeth in, what the Doctor assumed, was supposed to be a smile. His eyes lit up with a dangerous glow. "You and that female hold some… ", Akesh's nose crinkled in disgust, "perverse resemblances to us. Without those hideous fabrics you wear, you might pass as a human. Hide in the open. Sow decay and evil into the hearts of our people and spy for your wicked kind!"

The Doctor didn't bother to suppress the eye-roll that was triggered by that. "As you said yourself, we'd make pretty poor spies in our choice of attire."

"A clever lie, Kake." the thug leader dismissed instantly. "You could easily find new clothes. And in the absence of any other story…" He let the implication lie in the air.

The Doctor stared straight at him as he fought to keep his anger down. "It was an accident." he grinded out, a quiet little fire burning behind his eyes.

"What?"

"It was an accident." he repeated, a hint of desperation entering his voice. "If you just let Nyssa and I go, we will leave your planet alone. We will never come back!" He begged. "We crashed here by mistake."

"Crashed?" Akesh perked up at the word. A kind of hunger crept onto his face. "That means you must have come here on a spacecraft…" he muttered with growing excitement.

The Doctor's eyes widened in fear as he realised what Akesh was saying. "Now hold on I didn't say-"

"If we could give them an alien ship, we would be honoured as heroes." Akesh no longer seemed aware of his prisoner at all, his mind in a far off place and his face grinning ear to ear.

"I-It's nothing!" the Doctor stammered unconvincingly. "Just a heap of trash. Not even worth your time, trust me." He could feel himself starting to descend into panic.

Akesh threw his head back into a pernicious laugh, "Thank you, Doc'tiurr." he said almost genuinely. "This conversation has proved itself to be informative. Take him back to the horses."

Before he even his time to process what was happening, the Doctor had been dragged halfway to the exit.

"No, wait! Listen to me!" he shouted as the henchmen twisted his arms behind him and shoved him out of the hut.


	9. Trust

The Doctor burned with anger as Nyssa's form came into view. She looked tiny and exhausted sitting in the dirt with her hands tied behind her to a fence post. The horses stirred quietly next to her, tethered to the same fence. He held himself stiffly as the thugs marched him over. Despite the obvious powerlessness of his situation, the Doctor still felt some satisfaction at being at least a little uncooperative. Nyssa watched him without comment as the two thugs shoved him to the ground next to her and quickly cuffed his wrist behind him, around the thick wooden post. The Doctor couldn't help but let out a little hiss of pain as the unforgiving metal was snapped back into place. The thugs left as quickly as they came, clearly eager to be done with the day, and the two were left alone in the darkness.

The Doctor could feel Nyssa's delicate shoulder pressed up to his. She was shivering and he felt a twinge of sympathy. After such a swelteringly hot day, the night brought a surprising amount of chill to the air, and she wasn't in a fit state as it was. He pressed his weight a bit more into hers, wishing he was able to give her his jacket. "Nyssa", he murmured quietly.

"Hi," she breathed, her voice incredibly faint. She looked drawn and pale, standing out starkly against the dark pelt of the mare behind her. Bruises, dirt and cuts from earlier painted her skin and it seemed as if all the energy had left her body, her shoulders slumped and her head hanging low. He hadn't ever imagined he would see her like this. It was _his _job to keep her from harm and he had failed. He had allowed these horrible people to hurt her. _And I am still just as helpless to do anything, _he mused ruefully as he gave his restraints an experimental tug. But the stake was driven too deeply into the ground, and the manacles were too thick. So instead he swallowed down his frustration and despair, focusing his thoughts instead on Nyssa.

He looked back at her, concern written on his entire face. "Are you… are you alright?" he asked.

Nyssa's entire body shook as she let out a laugh. It wasn't like any laugh the Doctor had ever heard from her. The usual warm, full sound was replaced by a sort of dry, breathy chuckle that seemed to catch in her throat. "You know," she responded, "I can't really say that I am." He gave her a weak smile in response, attempting to ignore the clawing fear that rose in him at her words.

"And what of you, Doctor?" she inquired suddenly, lifting her head to look him straight on. "How are you?"

"Oh you know me." He gave her his most carefree smile, erasing all evidence of his own misery. "I'm always alright."

She didn't say anything, staring at him in silence, her expression unreadable. "Do you remember when I travelled with you before?" she asked, turning away from him.

The Doctor laughed. "Of course." he said somewhat loftily, "You have to remember that that wasn't too long ago for me."

Nyssa sighed. "It was such a long time ago for me." She gazed up at the black sky, filled to bursting with thousands of little pinpricks of light. "I was only a child."

Mild confusion clouded the Doctor's expression as he watched Nyssa retreat into her contemplative stupor. "Well I wouldn't exactly say that…" he muttered in disagreement. Out of all his recent companions, she had seemed the most mature of them all. Mature far beyond what he had ever expected from her.

"I would." she retorted, still not removing her gaze from the sky. "I was so young. I had lost so much. I knew nothing of the universe out there."

The Doctor shook his head incredulously. He had never known Nyssa to be so self-deprecating. "You knew so much!" he protested, "You were clever and intelligent beyond your years!"

She shook her head with a little smile. "That knowledge seems so trivial now. I suppose I knew of science and maths and the mechanics of the world around me." she admitted. "But I had no clue about the realities and possibilities of life. And I was so terribly naive." she paused, seeming to gather herself for a moment.

"I was even naive enough to believe you back then, when you used to say you were 'always alright.'" She turned to him sharply, a stern look in her normally gentle eyes.

The accusation struck the Doctor like a bullet. He blinked at his companion, unable to think of an adequate response. After several seconds of floundering for something to say, he settled on a slightly abashed, "Ah…" ducking his head in embarrassment.

Nyssa sighed again. "Doctor." she started in a much gentler tone, seeming to sense his sudden retreat from the situation. "When I came into your care so very long ago, I was an orphan. A product of a calamity that had claimed everything I ever knew." She stopped for a moment, the emotions of the memories starting to overwhelmed her a bit. She fought back her grief and regained her composure as best she could before continuing. "I was lost and you helped me find myself inside that big blue box of yours."

Again, the Doctor found himself at a loss for words. Is this how she had always felt? "Nyssa…" he trailed off, wanting to say so much and yet finding himself unable to.

"Please, just listen to me Doctor." she spoke emphatically, "I am not a child anymore and you are no longer my guide as you once were."Her voice broke slightly. "You are my dearest friend. So please, let's trust each other enough to tell the truth."

The Doctor didn't respond. He couldn't respond. Is that how he had been treating her? Like a child? A little trickle of guilt seeped into his mind. Of course he trusted her. He trusted her with his life!

He hesitated. But was that really the same as trusting her enough to be truly open with her? The Doctor balked at the thought. Shouldn't his burdens be his own to bear? He thought back to those years with Nyssa before. She really had been so terribly young, and she had suffered so much loss. He had only wanted to protect her from any more harm…..

But this wasn't the same Nyssa. Shame burned through him as he realised exactly how he had been treating her.

"You're right." he said with a sigh. "Of course you're right." Nyssa stared back at him. He flashed her a sheepish, sad little smile. "The truth is, I'm scared." he breathed, his voice barely above a whisper. "This world is _dangerous_. It's dangerous and it's cruel and I should have never brought us here." Each word tumbled out of his mouth before he could even think to stop it, like a shaken soda whose cap had finally been opened. "You're stuck here with me in this horrible situation, and I don't know how I'm going to get us out of it." He stared at her, his eyes holding a silent, miserable apology.

Nyssa blinked. "Well that doesn't sound too different from the situations we usually end up in," she chuckled. The Doctor didn't find it as funny. Nyssa looked back at his fearful face and let out a sigh. "We'll survive", she breathed. If there was any hint of doubt in her statement, she hid it well. "We always do."

With that, Nyssa allowed her head to drop, exhausted, onto the Doctor's shoulder. He swallowed hard as he tried to force his fears away. For now, all that mattered was that they were alive. Alive and together, huddling against the unforgiving cold of the night. Slowly, he let his head rest atop hers, curling slightly towards her in an attempt to share any scrap of body heat. Despite the cold, and the fear, and the intense discomfort of being tethered to the fence, the smallest feeling of comfort washed over him as Nyssa's shivers subsided into sleep. After all they had endured, they were still here.

()

The sign, it turned out, had been a marker set as a guide to a nearby settlement. Turlough had almost cried with relief when the first buildings had started to appear in the distance. Civilisation. Rest. Perhaps a chance to find something to eat. After all, Lu'saqi desperately needed it. He glanced down at her. She was still sleeping, passed out in his arms. No movement, not even the slightest flicker of an eyelid had occurred since she'd dropped off a few hours ago… And her weight was feeling more like a dead weight every passing second. He wondered vaguely if a sleep this deep was natural. A nagging feeling in his gut told him otherwise. Yet all he could do was periodically check for a pulse and keep walking. Nothing would matter for either of them anymore anyway if they couldn't find shelter and nourishment soon.

So Turlough continued to put one foot in front of the other. Ignoring the exhaustion, and the worry, and the throbbing pain flaring through his arm from his, still bleeding, bullet wound. He was certain his eventual crash would come, but for this very moment, he was still trudging onward. It was becoming harder and harder.

His mind started to wander. He imagined the relief that would come if he simply set the child down. If he just let all the weight slid off of him. She wouldn't even know. He imagined setting Lu'saqi on the loose, soft, sand and leaving her behind with a prayer. After all, it was far more likely that he would survive anyway. Wasn't it better that one of them survive rather than neither of them?

Yet, for some reason he couldn't bring himself to actually do it. A set of piercing blue eyes told him no. Turlough shook his head uselessly. In his soldiering days, he might have done it. The Doctor had made him weaker it seemed. And so he continued.

The buildings were so close now. He could already tell that this settlement was different from the ruined village. There wasn't a single hut in sight. Instead, huge, sandstone building rose up out of the ground like mountains. Towers and complexes clustered together around sturdy little houses and shops. Yes, this was a very different kind of place.

As eager as Turlough was for a reprieve from the endless, barren desert, he hung back from the well-worn road that snaked into the settlement. This city could just as much a death sentence as a salvation, he thought. Turlough's mind wandered back to the thugs as he came to a hesitant stop. His first meeting with the people of this planet hadn't exactly been kind. He glanced down at his wound. _Had _they been thugs? Rogues? Criminals? Or were all the people here like that?

He remembered the leader's eyes, burning with intense, pointed, specific hatred towards him. It was as if his very being had offended them all in some way. _Kake, _they had spat at him and the Doctor. It certainly hadn't sounded kind. He growled in frustration as he stared out at civilisation. It was so infuriatingly close…

_No._ Something inside of him said. _Don't trust this place. _

With another snort of annoyance at his own internal voice, he turned away from the path. Instead he picked his way warily along the edges of the paths, creeping closer, searching for a less conspicuous way in. Whether the place would prove to be friendly or not, it was still better than starving in the desert. It wasn't like Turlough didn't have any experience when it came to sneaking around anyway. It wasn't hard to get lost in the crowd of a city.

With a small degree of difficulty, he finally managed to locate a dinky little dirt path leading into a small crack between buildings which could only generously be called an alleyway. With a furtive glance around, he bundled himself and his sleeping charge into the city, silently praying that they would have the strength to face whatever was to come.


End file.
